Gotcha, but the people that came up in my encounter did exactly as I described down to the "oh so cute". I had to tell them don't get closer; so this is a real typical reaction; I didn't imagine it up from thin air.
No actually, he seemed very calm and collectedly stupid, as in this will make a good video for YouTube so I can't throw the phone to keep myself out of harms way type STUPID. Attempted Darwin contestant.
Meh, throwing something as light as a phone might only convince the cat you're harmless.
I can't say it with any authority to back me up, but it looked to me like dealer's choice; the cat could turn it into a real charge or a bluff depending on the prey's reaction. You ain't gonna out run it so best reaction is not to back down. I would stand my ground, with attitude. Yeah, I know, talk is cheap. Maybe next time you're out in the woods bring a weapon (and believe you can use it effectively to boost your bluff).
I thought that while I was watching the first time. “why doesn’t he throw the dang phone!“ The only problem with that is if he is attacked and somehow manages to survive that phone may be his only lifeline to get someone to come to his rescue. I doubt if he was thinking about any of that but I also doubt that he was thinking getting this video is the most important thing right now.
There was one point in the video where he says to himself “where‘s my gun”.
Well.... some chance... Per Wikipedia, there have been 125 documented attacks in the last 100 years, and 27 have been fatal.
www.kunc.org
IIRC, it was about 40 pounds.
And got a significant distance from her kittens.
